ILULA ORPHAN PROGRAM
TULIA
Tulia was born in the village of Igingilanyi, the poorest of the Ilula villages. She grew up in a mud house, sleeping on the mud floor on a straw mat next to her three brothers. Her parents were illiterate peasants, farming the food they needed. Her brothers died in illnesses when they were young. Her father died of
TB when she was in primary school. Her mother struggled to take care of herself and her daughter. They farmed maize for food, went to the mountains to find fire wood, and cooked on a fire inside the small house. Life was very tough!
Completing elementary school in 1999, Tulia was among the 13% who were elected to continue to Form 1 in Ilula secondary school. Her mother had no way to pay her school fees. Maybe she would have struggled more to find a way if Tulia had been a boy! Tulia went to the principal to ask what to do. She was not going to give up! The principal had heard about the new program of assistance in Ilula, "Ilula Orphan Program" (IOP), and Tulia applied so she could get a sponsor to assist with school fees, shoes, and a uniform.
She put all her energy into her studies. Passing Form 4 in the second division, she was among the 3% chosen to continue to Form 5 and 6 at a school outside Ilula. She was determined to go! The following two years she was hardly outside her room. She came home to visit her mother only twice. She studied in her small room in the light of her kerosene lantern, given her by IOP. She was determined to become one of the best! Completing Form 6 she became the best girl in the school, scoring division one!
She went home to her mother to explain what her results meant for herself, her village, her country, and the future for Tanzanian girls! Tulia applied for Law School in the University in Dar es Salaam. In August 2005 she was accepted in Faculty of Linguistics - without having a single cent for the bus ticket, note books, nor fees! As IOP was building the Center for Orphan Girls in Ilula, she asked to earn some money there. She carried bricks, weeded the fields, helped dig for foundations, and mixed mortar. As one of the best girls in the country, she was given a scholarship by the Tanzanian Government for the fees. However, to study she also had to live. Her sponsor supported her with the remaining expenses.
In December last year (2005), Tulia and I (Berit) went "Christmas shopping" in Dar - meaning buying a piece of soap, a bottle of lotion, some underwear, notebooks, and pens. Her Christmas gift was a single piece of good soap in a nice wrapping - not like the long, homemade sticks the pilgrims made - she paused for a second and starting laughing! I wondered why suddenly such a joy in the middle of the traffic in the city? She said: "Can you believe this!!? I am girl from a mud house in Igingilanyi, I have always slept on the dirt floor on a mat, walking far to carry home fire wood and water. And now I am a girl in the University of Dar es Salaam! It is impossible!!!!"
Tulia is now half way through her studies, heading for her Bachelor Degree in linguistics! As I called to meet all the University students before I left for USA, (November, 2006) a message was sent from Tulia. Would I please forgive her for not coming, as she had an examination that evening. Instead she had prepared a CD for her sponsor to listen to.